US embassy cable - 02HARARE1567

UNCLAS HARARE 001567 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/PD, AF/S, AF/RA 
NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, KPAO, ZI 
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT OP-ED CRITICIZES BUSH PLAN TO 
VISIT AFRICA 
 
 
  1.   An op-ed published in the June 27 edition of the 
      government-controlled daily "The Herald," dismisses 
      President Bush's planned visit to Africa next year as 
      a "non-event."  Under headline "Bush's visit a non- 
      event: West should stop meddling in Africa's internal 
      affairs," the newspaper's special assignments writer, 
      Tim Chigodo, reports: 
 
  2.   "Very few Africans will find excitement and joy 
      in the proposed visit to the continent by American 
      President George W. Bush following his hard-line 
      stance on Third World states. . . Analysts say the US 
      and Britain cannot lecture Africans on democracy. 
      Both countries were too directly involved in the slave 
      trade to be capable of selfless contribution on the 
      subject.  They have their hands, historically, 
      dripping with the incalculable suffering of black 
      people. . .  Observers say the US as the most powerful 
      nation in the world, should concentrate on various 
      aspects of poverty reduction, debt relief, 
      globalization and war against HIV/AIDS which is 
      reducing life expectancy in Africa instead of meddling 
      in the internal affairs of the country. . .  There is 
      no doubt that most Africans, including Zimbabweans, 
      will treat the visit by the American leader as a damp 
      squid.  It is very clear that the West still holds 
      paternalistic and imperialistic attitudes towards 
      Africa." 
 
SULLIVAN